Selenokhod
Encyclopedia
Team Selenokhod is a privately funded Russia
n team of aerospace
experts led by Nikolay Dzis-Voynarovskiy. It was the first Russian team to enter the Google Lunar X Prize competition
.
to the moon, which became the first ever rovers to traverse the moon's surface. The team initially began work in October 2007, composed of nearly ten experienced engineer
s and manager
s. The team's vehicles are two rovers and a lander with a communications system on-board. Both 5 kg rovers contain four independent wheels, an HD
camera, a solar panel, rechargeable batteries and a low-gain, omni-directional antenna.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n team of aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
experts led by Nikolay Dzis-Voynarovskiy. It was the first Russian team to enter the Google Lunar X Prize competition
Google Lunar X Prize
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007...
.
History and development
The team's name is derived from Lunokhod, the Soviet space program that sent two remote-controlled roversRover (space exploration)
A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other astronomical body. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots...
to the moon, which became the first ever rovers to traverse the moon's surface. The team initially began work in October 2007, composed of nearly ten experienced engineer
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
s and manager
Project manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software...
s. The team's vehicles are two rovers and a lander with a communications system on-board. Both 5 kg rovers contain four independent wheels, an HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
camera, a solar panel, rechargeable batteries and a low-gain, omni-directional antenna.
Objectives
, the team articulated four general objectives:- To demonstrate for all to see that progress in space can be achieved for the benefit of commerce and society, and that other programs besides those run by the military and the government can succeed.
- To identify and exploit the previously unknown talents and true creative potential of many people who join our Team and embrace the goals of the Project.
- To help reclaim Russia's premier status in the realm of space, and to help instill a sense of renewed pride in the Russian national space program as a whole.
- To do our best to win the Google Lunar X PRIZE, which means landing the first private rover on the lunar surface, and then successfully accomplishing all the required tasks and procedures in full compliance with the rules of the competition.
See also
- Russian space program
- Soviet space programSoviet space programThe Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991...
- Soviet MoonshotSoviet MoonshotThe Soviet manned lunar programs were a series of programs pursued by the Soviet Union to land a man on the Moon in competition with the United States Apollo program to achieve the same goal set publicly by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961...
- N1 (rocket)
- LK LanderLK LanderThe LK was a Soviet lunar lander and counterpart of the American Lunar Module . The LK was to have landed up to two cosmonauts on the Moon...
- Soyuz 7K-L3Soyuz 7K-L3The Soyuz 7K-LOK, or simply LOK was a Soviet spacecraft designed to launch men from Earth to circle the moon and developed in parallel to the 7K-L1. The LOK would carry two cosmonauts into orbit around the Moon, acting as "mother" spacecraft for the LK Lander, which would land one member of the...